Barty puts Australia in the women’s final 42 years later

He hardly celebrated it, but surely the emotion was inside, because Ashleigh Barty, champion at Roland Garros 2019 and Wimbledon 2021, had just reached the final of her country’s tournament, the Australian Open, after submitting, in front of his people and in 62 minutes, to Madison Keys: 6-1 and 6-3. On Saturday (9:30, Eurosport) she will face the Polish Iga Swiatek or the American Danielle Collins, who close the afternoon shift at the Rod Laver Arena this Thursday. The aussie had not seen a compatriot of theirs in that situation for 42 years, since 1980, when Wendy Trumbull lost the title against the Czech Hana Mandlikova.

“I’m happy, I’ve played my best tennis here,” said Barty, who enters the title match not having dropped a set and having dropped only 21 games in six matches. She was facing a rival who was going through the best streak of her career, 10 wins with the Adelaide WTA 250 title. But she had won the title in the 500 in the same city and with her different and varied game, disarmed the powerful tennis of the American, who had the merit of going so far without being seeded, until she ran into the number one in the world.

Barty’s service performance was impeccable, with five aces and ten points lost. As a consequence, two break points against which he saved. She added four breaks with 20 winners for the eight of an opponent who on this occasion lacked gunpowder, or rather had no chance to use it.

Australian Open women’s draw.